AC Open Doubles Championship
Doubles Final by Andrew Gregory
Good afternoon from Nottingham.
03 Jul 2023 2:56PM (Tournament); 6 Readers
Robert Fletcher & Stephen Mulliner v James Death
Best of 5, advanced.
Fletcher & Mulliner 2-0 up.
03 Jul 2023 2:58PM (Tournament); 6 Readers
In game 3, Death has had first break to 4-back. Fletcher missed the long lift.
03 Jul 2023 2:59PM (Tournament); 7 Readers
Patel picks up break.
03 Jul 2023 3:00PM (Tournament); 7 Readers
Patel fails hoop 4.
His pioneer had been short, and he didn't get a good rush on it when rolling out of 4th corner.
03 Jul 2023 3:05PM (Tournament); 15 Readers
Mulliner has made hoop 1.
03 Jul 2023 3:07PM (Tournament); 15 Readers
Mulliner has 4-ball break.
03 Jul 2023 3:08PM (Tournament); 14 Readers
He has the balls for a TPO.
03 Jul 2023 3:11PM (Tournament); 12 Readers
No tpo. Probably sensible with oppo on 4.
03 Jul 2023 3:12PM (Tournament); 12 Readers
The final is on court 7, ie the new Western side.
03 Jul 2023 3:13PM (Tournament); 13 Readers
Just starting on court 6 is the Plate final. Gabrielle Higgins & Debbie Lines v Rick Harding & Annabel McDiarmid.
03 Jul 2023 3:16PM (Tournament); 12 Readers
Mulliner is round to 4-back.
Diagonal spread coming up.
03 Jul 2023 3:20PM (Tournament); 12 Readers
Harding going round.
03 Jul 2023 3:20PM (Tournament); 12 Readers
Clips: Fletcher blue 1, Mulliner black 4-back.
Death Red 4-back, Patel Yellow 4.
03 Jul 2023 3:22PM (Tournament); 12 Readers
Spread with red tight at the peg. Rushes to 1 but not 4.
03 Jul 2023 3:23PM (Tournament); 13 Readers
I'm hearing that game 1 saw Death tpo Fletcher, but Mulliner had a nice 3-ball break.
03 Jul 2023 3:25PM (Tournament); 12 Readers
Patel lifts Yellow to A-baulk. Shooting at Red
...
03 Jul 2023 3:26PM (Tournament); 12 Readers
Misses on the right to B-baulk.
03 Jul 2023 3:26PM (Tournament); 13 Readers
Harding still going round in the plate.
03 Jul 2023 3:29PM (Tournament); 15 Readers
A passing expert reckons the main event is all over.
Fletcher is thru 1.
03 Jul 2023 3:30PM (Tournament); 16 Readers
No Alternate Stroke Doubles on view.
03 Jul 2023 3:31PM (Tournament); 17 Readers
Fletcher blue is approaching 2 off black. Little take-off. Angled hoop. Failed.
03 Jul 2023 3:34PM (Tournament); 15 Readers
Patel yellow hits red (6y)
03 Jul 2023 3:36PM (Tournament); 8 Readers
Patel yellow rushes blue thru 2. Now needs cut rush. Not enough, black is near 5. OK approach 4' hoop he's through.
03 Jul 2023 3:39PM (Tournament); 13 Readers
Apologies for error in my first post. I omitted Samir Patel. Hope the Manager forgives me.
03 Jul 2023 3:40PM (Tournament); 12 Readers
Plate: Harding to 4-back. Lines on lawn, presumably she hit the lift.
03 Jul 2023 3:42PM (Tournament); 13 Readers
Patel has break. May get chance to do 4-back peel before 1-back.
03 Jul 2023 3:44PM (Tournament); 14 Readers
Patel overhits little cut rush on peelee. No chance of peel at this point.
03 Jul 2023 3:46PM (Tournament); 16 Readers
Plate: Lines has equalising break.
03 Jul 2023 3:48PM (Tournament); 16 Readers
Patel is an anagram of Plate. Hope I don't confuse them.
03 Jul 2023 3:50PM (Tournament); 15 Readers
Patel is thru 3-back. Partner on lawn, to discuss leave. No peel of red this turn.
03 Jul 2023 3:53PM (Tournament); 12 Readers
Patel yellow is leaving black at penult. It is in front of 6 by a small margin, may even be in jaws. Partner is back on.
Vertical spread was considered, in order to annoy David Maugham.
Clips: Fletcher blue 3, Mulliner black 4-back.
Death red 4-back, Patel yellow peg.
03 Jul 2023 3:59PM (Tournament); 15 Readers
After rover, Patel yellow rushes blue to east boundary. Croquets it to maximum distance point. Rushes red to west boundary, south of where it's needed. Rolls, leaves rush pointing east.
03 Jul 2023 4:03PM (Tournament); 12 Readers
Plate: Lines to 4-back. NSL.
03 Jul 2023 4:04PM (Tournament); 14 Readers
Mulliner lifts black to 3rd corner. Shooting at Blue...
03 Jul 2023 4:06PM (Tournament); 16 Readers
Missed by a foot. Ends up 1yW of 4th corner.
03 Jul 2023 4:06PM (Tournament); 16 Readers
Plate: McDiarmid Misses long lift.
03 Jul 2023 4:07PM (Tournament); 14 Readers
Death red rushes yellow 3y N of blue.
03 Jul 2023 4:09PM (Tournament); 13 Readers
Higgins fails 4' hoop 1.
03 Jul 2023 4:10PM (Tournament); 12 Readers
Death red croquets yellow into lawn, rushes blue 3y W of black. Good take-off good rush.
03 Jul 2023 4:11PM (Tournament); 14 Readers
After 4-back, Death's rush south collides with the hoop. Rolls black near peg, cuts yellow just west of 4th corner. Take-off. Slight overhit. Cut rush to penult... hits hoop 4.
03 Jul 2023 4:14PM (Tournament); 15 Readers
Speculative roll doesn't end in front of penult.
03 Jul 2023 4:15PM (Tournament); 17 Readers
Partner on. There's at worst a 12-yarder for oppos.
03 Jul 2023 4:17PM (Tournament); 15 Readers
I think going off in4th corner would have left a double, so red goes 4y n of 4th corner.
03 Jul 2023 4:19PM (Tournament); 17 Readers
Fletcher lifts blue to A-baulk. Shooting at Yellow...
03 Jul 2023 4:19PM (Tournament); 16 Readers
...hits! Pretty central.
03 Jul 2023 4:20PM (Tournament); 15 Readers
Plate: Higgins just missed a 5yarder. McDiarmid thru 1, not a break yet.
03 Jul 2023 4:21PM (Tournament); 17 Readers
Fletcher's first croquet stroke leaves much to be desired, he's Christed off red. So needs good take off.
03 Jul 2023 4:23PM (Tournament); 15 Readers
...5 foot rush on black. Ideally with some cut. Not bad 3y take off required.
03 Jul 2023 4:25PM (Tournament); 14 Readers
Fletcher makes 3. Delayed TP opportunity.
03 Jul 2023 4:26PM (Tournament); 15 Readers
Plate: McDiarmid fails 2.
03 Jul 2023 4:27PM (Tournament); 17 Readers
Fletcher blue jawses black in 4-back before 6.
03 Jul 2023 4:35PM (Tournament); 18 Readers
To Christ off is to make an accidental roquet in the croquet stroke. This was applauded by members of Christ's College Cambridge who knew no better. Somewhere on the CA website is a glossary of this sort of jargon.
03 Jul 2023 4:39PM (Tournament); 17 Readers
Fletcher is thru 1-back with one peel done
03 Jul 2023 4:39PM (Tournament); 15 Readers
Plate: Higgins om break. Looks like she is contemplating delayed TP.
03 Jul 2023 4:41PM (Tournament); 16 Readers
Fletcher blue making 2-back off black. Yellow is 3y east of penult.
03 Jul 2023 4:42PM (Tournament); 16 Readers
Fletcher's rush after 2-back is just shy of being in front of penult. An imperfect take off to a misplaced 3-back pioneer necessitates a four yard approach. Copes.
03 Jul 2023 4:45PM (Tournament); 17 Readers
Plate, Higgins has had the first peel of her delayed TP.
03 Jul 2023 4:46PM (Tournament); 18 Readers
Fletcher doesn't get the penult peel before 4-back.
03 Jul 2023 4:49PM (Tournament); 18 Readers
Higgins gravelled thru 1-back and failed hampered shot.
03 Jul 2023 4:50PM (Tournament); 18 Readers
Fletcher makes straight Irish peel at penult. Will black hit the peg? No! It's within a foot of rover.
03 Jul 2023 4:53PM (Tournament); 17 Readers
Grovelled not gravelled. I blame autocorrect.
03 Jul 2023 4:56PM (Tournament); 19 Readers
Straight rover peel required. All balls where you'd want them.
03 Jul 2023 4:58PM (Tournament); 16 Readers
That went well.
03 Jul 2023 4:58PM (Tournament); 18 Readers
I don't think World No.1s rush into back of rover.
03 Jul 2023 4:59PM (Tournament); 19 Readers
Robert Fletcher & Stephen Mulliner are Open Doubles Champions.
03 Jul 2023 5:01PM (Tournament); 20 Readers
Meanwhile in the Plate McDiarmid is trying a triple. She attempted a long 4-back peel after 3, which was good enough for a subsequent rush peel. Now making 1-back with peelee still near 4-back.
03 Jul 2023 5:05PM (Tournament); 16 Readers
McDiarmid fails 3-back.
3-back and penult plays 2-back and penult.
03 Jul 2023 5:09PM (Tournament); 14 Readers
Lines (for penult) is on the lawn. Two hoops and a leave would be my call.
03 Jul 2023 5:12PM (Tournament); 13 Readers
Clips: McDiarmid red 3-back Harding yellow penult. Lines blue peg, Higgins black 2-back.
03 Jul 2023 5:20PM (Tournament); 13 Readers
A crosswire at 3-back is being attempted. But not achieved.
03 Jul 2023 5:23PM (Tournament); 13 Readers
Wide join on west boundary. Red and yellow are open, or very nearly so. So a 6-yarder for someone.
03 Jul 2023 5:26PM (Tournament); 11 Readers
Harding yellow hits red. Now has long take off.
03 Jul 2023 5:27PM (Tournament); 12 Readers
Harding yellow hits blue, croquets it near 4-back. Hits black, rolls it south, leaves rush for red out of 4th corner.
03 Jul 2023 5:32PM (Tournament); 15 Readers
Lines blue at Red/ yellow. Misses.
03 Jul 2023 5:33PM (Tournament); 15 Readers
McDiarmid red rushes yellow North of 3-back, take off back to blue, stopping approach. Six foot hoop. Failed.
03 Jul 2023 5:36PM (Tournament); 15 Readers
Lines blue hits yellow (13y)
03 Jul 2023 5:38PM (Tournament); 13 Readers
Another crosswire is being thought of. Does experience tell one nothing?
03 Jul 2023 5:39PM (Tournament); 13 Readers
Crosswire sensibly abandoned.
03 Jul 2023 5:40PM (Tournament); 14 Readers
Red and yellow will have a long "last" shot.
03 Jul 2023 5:42PM (Tournament); 15 Readers
The red and yellow balls are near their respective hoops - 3-back and penult. I presume black and blue are wired from yellow.
03 Jul 2023 5:44PM (Tournament); 14 Readers
Yellow Misses red (18y).
03 Jul 2023 5:45PM (Tournament); 14 Readers
Sorry for random capitalisation. I'm doing this on my phone.
03 Jul 2023 5:46PM (Tournament); 15 Readers
After 2-back, Higgins black rushes blue to 4-back takes off to yellow, takes off to red, bit short, pretty good rush. Take off approach. Thru 3-back. Good roll, should finish.
03 Jul 2023 5:49PM (Tournament); 17 Readers
Gabrielle Higgins & Debbie Lines win the Doubles Plate.
03 Jul 2023 5:54PM (Tournament); 14 Readers
That's all for now. I shall be concentrating on my play for the next days, but look out for further commentary later. I'll aim to post to the Nottingham board as and when.
03 Jul 2023 5:56PM (Tournament); 14 Readers
At 07 Oct 2025 8:26PM (Tournament) there are 4 people reading commentaries.